The team organizing the Waban Neighborhood Area Council will be holding an informational meeting at the Waban Library on Wednesday, June 20 at 7:00pm.  Neighborhood Area Councils provide a “voice of the village” in City government and can help address a variety of local issues.  Please come to hear lessons learned from representatives of the Upper Falls and Newton Highlands councils, and help us to form a vision for Waban.  Please contact Chris Steele at steelch@yahoo.com with any questions.

An Evening with School of Rock Boston’s Jazz Ensemble, Tuesday, June 5, 7:00 pm in Druker Auditorium
Founded in 1998, the School of Rock (SOR) is the nation’s premier performance-based rock music after-school and weekend program. Boasting over seventy branches nationwide and three in Mexico, SOR teaches guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums, and combines weekly, private music lessons and group band rehearsals for children ages 6 to 18. To date their students have played thousands of concerts to more than 100,000 people at such legendary venues as The Roxy, The Big Easy, and BB King’s Blues Club in Times Square. Boston is the first SOR to host a jazz spin-off program. Join them at the Newton Free Library on Tuesday, June 5 at 7:00 pm for a free concert under the direction of Pat Speece. All are welcome.

Teen Summer Reading Program Ice Cream Party Kickoff, Tuesday, June 26 at 3:00 pm, patio outside Children’s Room (Druker Auditorium rain location)
Kids in grades 6-12, celebrate summer and the Newton Free Library’s Teen Summer Reading Program at an ice cream parry. Register for the Teen Summer Reading Program, pick up a handout, learn about online sign-up and how you can win prizes! This year’s theme is Stretch Yourself @ Your Library. Try reading a new genre, listening to an audiobook, or reading a cookbook so you can try a new recipe.

Questions? Email Teen Librarian, Liz Rowland, lrowland@minlib.net.
For more information call the Newton Free Library @ 617-796-1380

June 7 & 9: Nitrous Oxide is a group of strange hybrid beings from deepest space: students that not only act, but also write sketch comedy — short comedic scenes that focus on telling jokes based on comic situations. Sketch comedy troupes include Saturday Night Live, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and Derrick Comedy. Directed by Graham Techler and Jack Reibstein. Thursday, June 7th and Saturday, June 9th, 7:30 pm in the Little Theatre

June 8 & 9: The 5th Annual Playwrights’ Festival is an all student-written, directed and produced collection of ten-minute plays, directed by Abby Holtzman, Emma Weisberg, and Kelsey Fox. Friday, June 8th, at at 7:30PM and Saturday, June 9th, at 2:00PM in the Little Theatre.

Tickets $8 for students, $10 for adults at Theatreink.net

After the excitement and interest caused by the recent Russian Festival at the Newton Cultural Center, the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs is planning an Indian Festival in November. If you are interested in participating in the planning stages and sharing any ideas, we would love your input. We would also love to hear ideas you may have about other Festivals that we could hold at the Newton Cultural Center. The Festival could feature music, dance, fashion, history, art, crafts and anything that would celebrate a culture and share it with the community. The next planning meeting for the Indian Festival is June 7, 10:00am at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street. If you would like to attend, please contact jsmith@newtonma.gov or call 617-527-8283

Newton Community Education would like to invite all Newton artists to apply for a display spot at this year’s Celebrate Newton crafts fair, to be held on December 2nd, 2012 at Newton South High School.

Celebrate Newton is an annual juried arts and crafts fair that honors the work of outstanding artisans who are residents of Newton or are in some other way connected to the city. Over 50 artisans display and sell their work at the fair; they include weavers, jewelers, quilters, potters, printers, photographers and more. Live music, food, and crafts activities for kids make the fair a wonderful, warm family event. Applications are available on our website www.celebratenewton.com.

This citywide event is sponsored by Newton Community Education, a self-sustaining arm of Newton Public Schools that offers a large variety of classes for both children and adults. Proceeds will benefit our scholarship fund and will help us to grow our program of course offerings.

Brookline Music School (BMS) presents a Faculty Concert with pianist Franco Leon, featuring works by Scarlatti, Mozart, Chopin, Satie and Mahler on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30pm in Bakalar Recital Hall for free.

The program includes:

• Scarlatti: sonata K.27 in b minor and K.119 in d major
• Mozart: 12 variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” K. 265 (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
• Mahler: adagietto from the 5th symphony (arranged by J. Scheide)
• Satie: Gnossiennes nos. 3,4 and 5
• Chopin: nocturne op.27 no.2 and
• Scherzo no. 2 op.31

Would your family like to win an iPad?

The John. M Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton and Honda Village are holding the Driving Creativity Contest between now and May 31st.  Kids and teens ages 2-18 are encouraged to create an interpretation of a Future Honda Vehicle on a piece of 8 ½ -11 sheet of paper. Winners will be announced at the Driving Creativity Gala Night reception on Thursday, June 7^th.

All drawings should include the child’s name, parent’s name, age, and a cell phone number, and should be dropped off at the Boys & Girls Club of Newton or at Honda Village . The different categories include: Overall Winner, Best in Class for Preschool, Elementary, Middle and High School, Best Use of the Honda or Honda Village logo, and Honorable Mentions for creativity and realism.

Judging for this contest will primarily take place online on Honda Village’s Facebook page facebook.com/hondavillagema where the public can vote by “Liking” images. Entries can also be viewed in person at Honda Village after each is displayed. Judges are allowed to vote for as many drawings as they may like, but can only vote for each image once.

There will be various prizes for contest winners including an iPad, art lessons, art museum experiences for the family, a certificate for art supplies and a summer camp experience. For any additional information you can contact me at this email address or Jade Giacoppo at Honda Village at Jgiacoppo@hondavillage.com .

A Music Festival for Brookline

BROOKstock: Where 1969 Meets 2012

Friday, June 1, 2012 7:30pm

Ellsworth Theatre, Pine Manor College

400 Heath St. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Brookline Music School ensembles and young emerging artists from Brookline will perform a variety of classic songs and original music at A Music Festival for Brookline, BROOKstock: Where 1969 Meets 2012 concert on Friday, June 1st at 7:30pm in the Ellsworth Theatre at Pine Manor College.

Brookline Music School ensembles will be performing music from 1969, the final year in an amazing decade of American popular music, one which laid the foundation for all that followed. Original music from Brookline’s most promising young bands, singer/songwriters, and composers will also be featured. BROOKstock seeks to contrast music from the 1960’s with music being created here and now by today’s young musicians. The similarities and differences between the two will, we hope, make for an exciting and entertaining evening of live music.

Admission is $10 general admission, $5 per student and all ages are welcome. Advance tickets can be purchased at Brookline Music School (25 Kennard Road, Brookline; 617-277-4593). For more information, visit the Brookline Music School website at www.bmsmusic.org or call 617-277-4593.

Brookline Music School ensemble students of varying ages and abilities will also perform two full days of free live music at Roggie’s Brew & Grille in Brighton on Saturday, June 2nd and Sunday, June 3rd. Immerse yourself in the presence of several talented young individuals, as they take the stage in an impressive Jazz and Rock show.

The event will take place in the Cavo Lounge at Roggie’s Brew & Grille (356 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Brighton, MA 02135) on Saturday, June 2nd and Sunday, June 3rd from 11:00am to 8:00pm. Admission is free.

Watertown Children’s Theatre presents Oliver!, June 15 at 7 pm, June 16 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and June 17 at 2 pm, Charles Mosesian Theater, Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown. Based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens, this lively musical combines drama, humor, and great music for a fantastic production with participants in Grades K-9 including Newton’s own Rosie Carroll, Gabriela Ettinger, Caroline Hoban, Sonia Joffe, Amelia Kane, Ava Lyons, Rachel Manning, Sara Manning, Myles Murphy, Riley Raker, Jacob Resnick, Thomas Sasdi, Katrina Secinaro, Liam Walsh, Anna Weylman-Farwell, and Nichol Weylman-Farwell. Tickets are $12, and will be available beginning May 22nd through WCT’s website at www.watertownchildrenstheatre.org or at 1-800-838-3006. For more information, call 617-926-ARTS or visit our website.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” ~ Henry Adams

It’s that time of year again to honor exceptional Newton teachers and staff who have touched your child’s life. The suggested donation is $25 per teacher/staff member. Newton Schools Foundation celebrates Newton Public Schools teachers and staff by:

• Notifying honored teachers and staff of your gift
• Listing all honored teachers and staff in the Newton TAB and Patch
• Sharing honoree names with the Superintendent and Principals
• Ensuring your donations go to support teaching & learning in Newton schools.

To honor a teacher or staff person go to www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org.